January 2015

2015 January, 30

Updated Walt Disney World Refurbishment Schedule

travelmagicstg2015-01-30T10:13:12-05:00January 30, 2015|Animal Kingdom, Disney World, Disney World Resort Refurbishments, Downtown Disney, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Resorts|0 Comments

Updated Walt Disney World Refurbishment Schedule as of January 29, 2015 Magic Kingdom® Park Splash Mountain Cinderella's Royal Table Liberty Square Riverboat Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid Harmony Barber Shop Big Thunder Mountain Railroad "it's a small world" Dream Along with Mickey Jungle Cruise Liberty Tree Tavern Monorail The Walt Disney World® Resort Monorail System will undergo refurbishment that will impact the Resort and Express monorail beams on select days in February and March. During these times, Monorails on the Resort beam will travel between Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Magic [...]

2015 January, 30

Tips for the parks – part 3

travelmagicstg2015-01-30T06:00:00-05:00January 30, 2015|Disney World|0 Comments

Looking for tips and strategies to make your trip smoother? Here are some ideas to help you out! · Disneyland has changed their DAS (Disability Assistance Service card) - it is now electronic. The DAS card is now on the card holder's park ticket. You will go to the kiosk to get the return times. The return times are being scanned onto the park tickets. Everyone in your group must present their ticket to be included in the use of the DAS. You can send 1 person with all of the park tickets but all of the park tickets must [...]

2015 January, 28

Hilton Anaheim Review

travelmagicstg2015-01-28T06:00:00-05:00January 28, 2015|Disney Travel|0 Comments

One of my favorite things when traveling to Disneyland Resort in California is to stay in one of the three Disney properties- The Disneyland Hotel, The Grand Californian, or Paradise Pier. That being said, there are times when it is simply more cost effective to stay at a Good Neighbor property. For example, when my family and I priced out our most recent trip to Disneyland, staying at the Hilton Anaheim saved us $2000! That paid for our airline and several meals at the parks! So, in this case, we chose to stay at the Hilton Anaheim. I highly recommend [...]

2015 January, 26

Outside of the Walt Disney World Theme Parks

travelmagicstg2015-01-26T06:00:00-05:00January 26, 2015|Disney World|0 Comments

One of the great things about staying at the Walt Disney World Resort is you are in the middle of the magic. While we all love the theme parks did you know there’s plenty to keep you busy outside of the parks as well? Rent a boat! Many of the Disney resorts offer a marina with boat rentals. Take some time to explore one of the many waterways at Walt Disney World. Experienced boater or not, there’s something for everyone to enjoy with Disney’s fleet of boats. From arm powered, leg powered, wind powered to motorized ~ Disney has a [...]

2015 January, 23

The Rainy Day Cavalcade at Disney’s Magic Kingdom

travelmagicstg2015-01-23T06:00:00-05:00January 23, 2015|Disney Travel, Disney World|0 Comments

Perhaps you have been in The Magic Kingdom on a very rainy day, or have been caught in the inevitable brief afternoon shower. In all my visits to The Magic Kingdom over 30+ years, I was fortunate enough to have never been caught in the rain for the 3:00 parade (How did that happen?!). That is, until this year. It was supposed to be my 3-year-old daughter’s first parade, because 3:00 in the afternoon is usually when we’re back at the hotel taking a nap. But, I rearranged our schedule this time so she could watch it for [...]

2015 January, 21

Dining at Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa

travelmagicstg2015-01-21T06:00:00-05:00January 21, 2015|Disney's Alunai Resort|0 Comments

A vacation to Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa is a tropical getaway. In a lot of ways, the vacation experience is similar to a Disney Cruise vacation – tropical beaches, lots of included entertainment, a complimentary kid’s club, etc. But one major question that comes up when booking an Aulani vacation is what do I do for food? While there is not a dining plan (like at the Disney parks) and the food isn’t included (like on a Disney Cruise), there are still a wide variety of options to choose from in a wide range of prices. Resort Refillable [...]

2015 January, 19

Disney Food Truck Invasion

travelmagicstg2015-01-19T06:00:00-05:00January 19, 2015|Disney World|0 Comments

Food trucks… I love food trucks. What is not to love about delicious culinary delights that are served fast and from an awesomely decorated truck? The very first time I read of news that Disney was going to introduce food trucks to Downtown Disney I KNEW we would have to sample their offerings on our next trip! The Namaste Café truck features “Tasty Explorations from Disney’s Animal Kingdom.” The artwork on the truck is definitely stunning. The colorful murals depict scenes that look very similar to what you would find in the Animal Kingdom. Choose from slow-cooked beef short ribs, [...]

2015 January, 16

A Taste Test for the Wizard at Heart

travelmagicstg2015-01-16T06:00:00-05:00January 16, 2015|Universal Studios Orlando|0 Comments

Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans are one of the most popular treats in the wizarding world and Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter! These are very similar to Muggle Jelly Beans, except they have been created in every flavor imaginable: some you want to taste and some you do not! If you ever wonder what that magical box held inside, but were afraid to open it, well, my family has taken then mystery and the misery out of the beans for you! We purchased our beans at Honeydukes in Hogsmeade. In the spirit of a wizarding adventure, we decided to [...]

2015 January, 14

Ramada Gateway Hotel

travelmagicstg2015-01-14T06:00:00-05:00January 14, 2015|Travel Destinations|0 Comments

Ramada Gateway Hotel is your home away from home! This is a good neighbor hotel located in Kissimmee, Florida. This hotel is located only 1 mile away from Walt Disney World Theme Parks, such as Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Magic Kingdom and is located only minutes away from other main tourist attractions such as LEGOLAND Florida, SeaWorld Orlando, Universal Orlando, and The Holy Land Experience just to name a few. Ramada Gateway is not only known for its many top of the line qualities but also for their superior customer service. There this property has two [...]

2015 January, 12

Fantasmic Lunch Package

travelmagicstg2015-01-12T06:00:00-05:00January 12, 2015|Disney World, Hollywood Studios|0 Comments

One thing I’ve always wanted to see at Disney World is Fantasmic, Hollywood Studio’s nightly water and laser show, but I’d never taken the time to actually see it! Blame it on the long wait to get in or the lack of utilizing the new FastPass+ system, but I decided once and for all – next time I go to Disney, I’m going to see Fantasmic! On my most recent trip to Walt Disney World, my husband and I decided to live a little and splurge on the Fantasmic Lunch Package. Boy, am I glad we did! The initial [...]